As a beauty editor, I have access to make-uphundreds of brands. From designer foundations to the latest lipsticks and celebrity collaborations – I can try them Unconfident, unpolished and unprofessional. Ugly all. However, like countless other beauty editors I know, it’s not a precise red lip or eyeliner flick I obsess over, but perfect skin. I’ve spent years trying to replicate the kind of dewy, ethereal complexion supermodels like Gigi Hadid wear so well. Tinted moisturisers? I’ve tried them all. Luminous-effect foundations? I’ve currently got three on the go. And only last week I spent £150 on a course of mini laser treatments that promise radiant skin. I know. As such, I won’t even leave the house without applying my base; mixing it with my moisturiser if my skin’s drier, doubling up where my skin’s redder and adding highlighting cream to brighten dull spots. It’s become a ritual that’s almost as imperative as brushing my teeth. And, as much as I hate to admit it, without it I feel bare. even. So I wear make-up because it makes me feel Peer (marisapeer.com). ‘It’s the same way we see like less of all of the above. And that’s the rub.
‘We feel more confident wearing make-up because we see people who are groomed and take a bit of time for themselves as more successful,’ says leading therapist, author and nutritionist Marisa people who wear smart, pressed clothes to the office (rather than jeans and trainers) – they’re thought of as more successful, more accomplished and more confident.’ And it’s not just those of us who work in the office who feel make-up is an outward reflection of our personalities. ‘We wear make-up to get other women to value us, too – hence mums who put on their lipstick before the school run or yoga class. It sends a message that you take time for yourself and that you are worth it. And we’re then so used to seeing this version of ourselves that we feel more together, less laid bare, with our make-up on,’ adds Peer. ‘It gives us that confidence to face the world.’
It’s not just hyperbole. Recent research, by the University of Stirling, Scotland, found men see women who wear make-up as higher in prestige – while women perceive them as more dominant (and sadly, more promiscuous). And a study, in the Journal Of Applied Social Psychology, found women wearing cosmetics were seen as healthier and more confident in comparison to women who were make-up free. And, of course, there have been universal markers of beauty since day dot. As make-up artist Lisa Eldridge says in her (brilliant) book Face Paint: The Story of Makeup (Abrams Image, £18.99), women ‘adopted rouge to add a youthful flush to their lips and cheeks’ as far back as ancient Greece. Fast forward 2500 years, and one Mexican study concluded skin texture was the biggest marker in perceived female attractiveness – and a vast range of modern foundations can help us replicate the fresh, even skin tone of our youth. The products might have changed, but the premise is the same: make-up equals health, wealth and beauty.
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December/January 2017
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